The 7th Day at Wimbledon 2017 Ladies’ Draw

Venus Williams

Number 1 seed Angelique Kerber (GER) faced a tough challenge if she was to progress into the quarters past 14th seed and former finalist Garbine Muguruza (ESP). Muguruza, who is being guided by former champion and legend Conchita Martinez, has found form in this tournament. The pair served up a spectacular show of bruising ralleys, Muguruza hitting what would have been winners against most players. Kerber was a wall and took the closely contested first set 6-4. Muguruza was having a nightmare at the net as her volleys deserted her, but Kerber was unbreakable from the baseline and the net was the Spaniard’s only option. In the second set the 14th seed held her concentration and tidied up the unforced errors to clinch it 6-4. In a third set littered with breaks, it became more about who could hold their serve rather than who could break and it was Muguruza who held her nerve. She will play 7th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS). 9th seed Agnieska Radwanska (POL) was looking to dampen the firepower of the 7th seed. She didn’t get off to a good start, being overpowered 6-2, and faced break points on every one of her service games in the second set. It was only a matter of time until the Russian broke through and it ended 6-2 6-4.

Resurgent Victoria Azarenka (BLR) was up a break in the first set against 2nd seed Simona Halep (ROU), but the Romanian who is known for her fighting qualities came back to take the set in a tie break. Azarenka’s head dropped and Halep was able to race away 7-6 6-2. She’ll play 6th seed and now bookies’ favourite Johanna Konta (GBR) who faced 21st seed Caroline Garcia (FRA) who had come through the draw unchallenged. Konta showed her first signs of nerves as she served for the first set to be broken and the set go to a tie break. She showed great composure to take the tie break 7-3. The Frenchwoman seemed to find her stride in the second set and raced to a 5-1 lead, Konta regained herself but too late for the strong serving Garcia who took the set 6-4. In an incredibly tense final set, Konta held her nerve to get to 5-4, the 21st seed to serve to make it 5-5, but she blinked and Konta scraped through 7-6 4-6 6-4.

10th seed Venus Williams (USA) has made it past the fourth round an amazing 12 times. She blasted past 27th seed and youngest player into the fourth round 19 year old Ana Konjuh (CRO) in straight sets 6-3 6-2 in little over an hour. She’ll face French Open champion 13th seed Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) who hasn’t had a smooth ride through to the fourth round and was looking to upset 4th seed Elina Svitolina (UKR) who hadn’t yet dropped a set. Ostapenko took the first set 6-3 and was serving for the match at 5-2, having five match points, only to be pegged back to a tie break. She needed a further three match points to see it out 6-3 7-6.

Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) took the first set against qualifier Petra Martic (CRO) 6-4 but the world number 135 took command of the second set 6-2. Rybarikova was too strong in the final set and goes through 6-4 2-6 6-3. She’ll play 24th seed Coco Vandeweghe (USA) who unseated 5th seed Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) in straight sets 7-6 6-4 and is certainly one to watch.